Western Cape govt concerned about province’s Q3 crime stats

The Western Cape government has expressed concern about the province's crime statistics for the third quarter of the current financial year.

Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais attended the release of the province's quarterly crime statistics on Tuesday.

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Marais said the statistics show that the Western Cape remains a national hotspot for violent crime.

"While we note that murder has decreased, our province continues to face deeply entrenched challenges in categories such as murder, attempted murder, and rape."

Marais said it's a concern that attempted murder in the province has increased by 5.3%.

"Overall, community-reported serious crime decreased by 4.1%. That is welcome. However, the Western Cape still accounts for 18.7% of all national crime."

Marais said while the murder rate decreased, 1,157 murders in three months is still far too high.